Kiasunomics

Rising sea levels and property are highly pertinent topics for Singaporeans. But how are the two linked? In this episode, Professor Ang Swee Hoon examines the impact of impending sea level rises on both public and private housing in Singapore, following announcements made by the then-Prime Minister in a National Day speech in 2019. Research revealed a reduction in the monetary value of sea-facing...

Picking off a U.S. study on a credit card promotional campaign where the bank offered 1% cashback, Professor Ang Swee Hoon looks at how it increased user spending by 32% and even incurred greater debt by not making prompt repayments. She also touches on the impact of the campaign on “revolver users” and inactive, no-debt cardholders.  

Left to their own, consumers may not make the most sustainable choices. This is where regulations and policies may have to come in to manage usage. In this episode, Professor Sumit Agarwal looks at the reactiveness of water usage in response to pricing changes in Singapore, triggered by government policies implemented to encourage conservation, by examining 10 years’ worth of water consumption dat...

As part of its Smart Nation vision, Singapore introduced the QR code in April 2017 as a mode of payment to merchants and vendors. Three months later, this was followed by PayNow. In this episode, Marketing Professor and co-author of the Kiasunomics book series, Ang Swee Hoon, examines the impact of these new payment features on consumption and business creation, rate of ATM closures, and even cred...

The detrimental short-term effects of haze on physical health and productivity are undisputed. But what about its long-term impact on academic performance even wages? Looking at local university admissions score data gathered during the Singapore haze crises of children that were born both during and after these episodes, Professor Sumit makes interesting observations that seem to suggest a defini...

The real estate market has long been a prime destination for individuals seeking to launder illicit wealth. It is one of the oldest-known ways. In this episode, citing the infamous Panama Papers that took the world by storm in 2020, Professor Ang Swee Hoon dives into the mechanics behind money laundering and offshore secrecy. Based on transactions that took place in Singapore, she shares interesti...

In September 2020, a global investigation involving major dark data leakage revealed suspicious financial movements amounting to $2 trillion dollars across financial institutions and real estate industry. These leaked transactions have since become widely known as the Panama Papers. In this podcast session, real estate Professor Sing Tien Foo interviews Professor Sumit Agarwal for a change, to zer...

How do Singaporeans respond to “free money” aka tax rebates, in the main? Using bank account transaction data from a leading local bank during the time of a special government budget surplus payout, Professor Sumit identifies differences in the way different income groups respond, and questions if payouts should be available to everyone in order to effectively boost economic growth.

Do discounts and good bargains really save us money, or do they instead trigger unnecessary purchases? By looking at the spending of people in Singapore, Professor Sumit Agarwal assesses if the favourable exchange rate drives Singaporeans up the causeway to shop there, particularly those who live closer to Johor Bahru.

As Housing Development Board (HDB) flats get on in their years, their cash value potentially drops more quickly. Does this create a negative downward spiral, and why? In this episode, Professor Sumit chats to fellow colleague Professor Sing Tien Foo from NUS’ Department of Real Estate about this issue to better understand the mechanics behind the economics of this phenomenon.

In the spirit of fostering harmony and better social integration, Singapore’s Housing Development Board has intentionally implemented an ethnic household mix across all blocks and estates. In this episode, Professor Sumit chats once again to Professor Sing Tien Foo about how this policy has inadvertently influenced public housing prices, and the reasons why. Analysing home sale transaction data, t...

The common yet unromantic Singaporean marriage proposal: Do you want to BTO with me?  In this episode, Professor Sumit Agarwal, with Professor Fan Yi continue to delve into the public housing policy schemes in Singapore, specifically for young couples planning for marriage, and for singles above 35 years.  Looking at both micro and longitudinal data sets, she examines the impact of policy shocks o...

Distinction, merit and pass. Now just three ways to pass a course for postgraduate students at NUS Business School. In this episode, Professor Sumit Agarwal engages the Dean of NUS Business School, Distinguished Professor Andrew Rose in this exclusive dialogue, to understand the rationale behind his bold changes to the School’s postgraduate grading system, to adopt a coarser scale, reducing the im...

The world is seeing a widening income gap, where the rich enjoy more comfortable lives and flexibility. Income tax policies are designed to narrow this gap, but do these measures harm higher income earners more than they help lower income earners? 

It is a known, evidence-based fact that the lifestyle choices of our peers have a strong bearing on our own. Does this hold true when it comes to bankruptcy? In this episode, Professor Sumit looks at the spending behaviours of people living in close proximity to individuals who have been declared bankrupts. Interestingly, he observed a reduction in the consumption of the neighbours of a bankrupt b...

In this episode, Professor Sumit and Finance Professor Ruan Tianyue analyse the Silver Support Scheme – one of Singapore’s policy measures, instituted in 2015, to provide better support to retired individuals in an increasingly aged society.  How have the elderly of Singapore used these payouts since, and would this be an effective means to manage the tension between longer life expectancy and ris...

Clearly the pandemic has exacerbated  inequality throughout the world. In Asia, three new billionaires are created every week now, and over 97% of the world’s wealth is concentrated among the top 5% of the population. Much research has gone into the analysis of this issue, to devise plausible solutions moving forward. In this episode, Professor Sumit Agarwal chats to Professor Fan Yi about her res...

Regardless of where, inflation has corrosive implications on people’s lives. In this episode, Professor Sumit chats to NTU’s Assistant Professor Chua Yeow Hwee about the “upgrading channel”, which tests if an individual’s inflation expectations are linked to the way they spend, i.e. the quality of products they buy. Asst. Professor Yeow Hwee shares his findings from an interesting experiment based...

In this episode, Professor Sumit Agarwal delves into the topic of aging in Singapore, and the use of its Central Provident Fund. From research done by finance Professor Allaudeen Hameed on the way funds are used by Singaporeans who reach 55 years of age and are eligible to withdraw a proportion of their retirement savings, Sumit shares interesting insights on how the money is spent, or not spent.

Are realtors in Singapore motivated to act in the best interest of their home buyers, given the current way properties are sold? Professor Sumit examines property transaction data with Professor Song Changcheng over the past 15 years to determine if the most attractive deals are indeed made by realtors because of their greater access to information. They also discuss the effectiveness of dual-agen...

In Singapore, the raising of the Minimum Occupancy Period of Housing Development Board (HDB) flats from three to five years presented a game-changer for home owners. In this episode, Professor Sumit chats to finance professor Qian Wenlan about the effects this policy shock has had on the wealth management and consumption of Singaporeans.

In this episode, Professor Sumit examines one of the most stressful topics on the minds of parents of pre-schooling children in Singapore – the mainstream primary school registration system. He dives into the layers beneath this process, and how school branding has impacted housing prices.

Do humans naturally opt to take the train on weekdays to shorten their work commute instead of the bus, and do they tend to work longer if their travelling time is longer? In this episode, Professor Sumit shares insightful research observations from studying EZ link card data of over 150 million bus and train trips, to understand how time, money and urgency influences the Singapore commuter’s mode...

Exploring never before studied data of private hire and taxi ride prices with Singapore Management University’s Associate Professor Cheng Shih-Fen, Professor Sumit examines the range of factors influencing passenger behaviour, and how pricing may not be the key determinant of which private hire option commuters choose during peak timings. With this insight, the duo hopes to inspire higher levels o...

How does something seemingly unscientific like cultural superstition impact housing purchase decisions in Singapore? In this episode, Professor Sumit invites Singapore Management University’s Associate Professor Song Changcheng for chat on how his research suggests that the numbers “4” and “8” may significantly influence the preferences of Singaporean Chinese.